Police who found a missing man after a ten day search refused to inform his family of his location and days later he was dead.

An inquest into the death of father-of-two Simon Gardner, from Shirley, heard officers located the train driver four days before he plunged to his death from a tenth floor room at the Jury’s Inn Hotel on January 24 last year.

His widow Susan Gardner also accused officers of asking hotel staff to clear away body parts, including throwing teeth and parts of his jaw in the bin.

She said: “They threw his teeth and his jaw in the bin. Hotel staff were instructed to clear the scene. It is disgraceful.”

An apology was issued by the police in April last year.

Mr Gardner, a former police officer with more than 30 years on the force, walked out of his Links View Road home on January 9 last year after a prolonged period of stress following an error working for South West Trains.

Mrs Gardner told the court he believed his job was under-threat after an allegation he misread a signal in August 2010.

She said: “I would describe him as being in fight or flight mode. He detached himself – he just wanted to be away from people. Train driving was something he had always wanted to do.”

Appearing at Croydon Coroners Court on Wednesday May 9 PC Carol Oseman admitted she found and spoke to the 52-year-old at South Croydon Travel Lodge on January 20 for only a few seconds and after he refused to leave his room she and a colleague left and closed the file.

She said: “He was a adult he has the right to come and go as he pleases.”

Inspector Kenneth Fitzgerald later confirmed he knew of no official policy of protecting the privacy of a person reported as missing.

The family of Mr Gardner also accused police of removing a note left to him on his car, found at South Croydon Travel Lodge, the day before he was found dead.

Officers Clair Powles and Nichola Woodley deny this accusation.

Richard Potts, brother in law to Mr Gardner, said: “They told me it was inappropriate – I was flabbergasted.”

On January 24 just before 8am Mr Gardner fell from his room. He sustained multiple injuries and was pronounced dead at the scene.

Donal Stafford, general manager of the Jury’s Inn told the court his room window had been forced open breaking a security lock.

Coroner Roy Palmer said the probability was he committed suicide, but gave an open verdict.

Following the verdict Mrs Gardner said: "The family are concerned that despite finding him 12 days later the police would not tell them about his whereabouts or seek professional expert assistance they merely closed the file and left the family in ignorance.

"We feel let down by the Metropolitan Police.

"They left him alone and vulnerable."